Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-19
As BAD AS IN IRELAND.
Families Of Eyicfed Miners Sleeping
ON the Bare Ground Because Their
NeighbOrs Did Not Dare to- Aid Them

special dispatch TO the New York Tribune
rom wilkesbarre Pa, says: Since April IL the
miners employed by J. :. WentZ s. Co., at their
Halle Brook coIlierfeS, near Hazlet0n, have been
on strike, and on Saturday the company began
the fOrcible eviction OF the men from their homes
The whole village and the land lying around
about for miles are owned by the company. 1t
Will not sell lease foot OF land to any one nor
allow man TO build a house for himself. 1t CON-
pels every employee In the mines to rent from It,
at from - to So a month. The men are forced to
sign leases which place them absolutely at the
company's mercy. They expressly waive every
Oenent or protection which they might have uu-
der the laws OF the state. They agree that the
moment they cease to work for the company they
must leave their homes, and can Be elected on ten
lays notice. and they further have 10 sign what
3 termed an "amCable suit OF eiectment.~ D.
which the company can, at any moment, issue "a
writ and eject them.
Notices 10 quit were sent round TO the strikers
some weeks ago. ON Saturday Deputy sheriff
Brockway, armed with the writs issued in ''amica-
bic suits or eJectment," ana backed by d body Of
coal and iron police in the pay OF the company,
appeared In the village and began To evict. Six
families with all their goods and chatteiS were
throWn ON the hillside; they were the families OF
Neal Gallagher, Daniel Nigan, Patrick Bowen,
Barney" Gallagher, Joseph MOnige, and Patrick
Dunlavey. Everything the houses contained was
thrown pell-nell out OF doors and windows, the
women and Children driven out, and the doors
locked behind them.
Not only were they thus deprived OF home and
SHELTER but not soul in the village dare shelter
them or their goods. The company had given
notice that any tenant affOrling shelter TO those
eyicted would be himself dispossessed. Ms. Dun
layey was sick In bed when the officers entered
the house; but she hau TO 90, and her led was
put outside after her. 1t was with difficulty that
she obtained permission 20 stop over night at
neighDOr'S, nor We're the eyicted tenants aDle to
remove their goods, for the company had pTOhlD-
tied any wagon from entering It's lands Tor That
purpose, and refused to grant the use OF its own
teams. Women and children We're compelled to
hant miles In search OF place to spend the night,
ana some unable to obtain shelter, were fOrCeu TO
sleep on the bare ground without food or shelter.
Their goods are lying to-day just as they were
thrown out, the people being unable to move
them.
The strike was the result OF the cOmpanys per-
sistent attempts 10 break up the local district OF
the Knights OF Labor. Every man suspected of be-
tOnging 10 il was discharged-his place iled by an
ignorant Hungarian or Pole. Early ia April three
ulSn were discharged for this reason. Inc miners
took up their cause, and demanded their reiDstate-
ment- The company paid 10 attention to the de-
mand and the men struck They offered to arbl-
trate but the company refused TO consider any
number OF additional HungarianS and took out the
coal cut by the miners before they struck, charg-
Ing the iaborerS' time To the strikers. Tie
paly has large stores i'll the village, and all
pl0yeS are forced TO deal with IL and 1t only Not
another store Is allowed on the cOmpany's ground,
and not a travelling merchant or peter dareS set
loot ON its territory.
When the news OF the eviction became known
yesterday, IL created intense Indignation all
through the lower end OF the county. The local
action. Ii hired attorneys, who obtained posses
sion OF the leases and coming 10 the city to-day,
entered legal proceedings against the company in
the Court or Common Pleas, TO test the legality OF
the leases It + probable, however, that further
electments will follow, despite the action OF the
kuiglfS